A biometric gun safe only opens when scanning your fingerprint. This is pretty cool, because then no one can get into it except you. There are some disadvantages as well. Here are some things that you must consider when getting one of these. There is no doubt about it: there is no type of gun box that you can get into faster than a biometric gun safe. You just put your finger on the scanner and it will open right up. These are ideal for those of us relying on our firearms for quick protection. They work well in your bedside drawer, so you can get right into it if you hear an intruder enter. Many install them under their desks at work, although I don’t think I need one of these at my job. Some people even use them in their cars. This is a great option for women who always want to keep their firearms safely in their car.

How many fingerprints can you program into it?

You probably want your spouse to have access to it. You would hate to have her alone when something happened without access to what’s inside. Just make sure you have complete control over who can and who cannot program their finger prints in to it. Some prefer to have only one person have access to it, where others want several family members to have access in case of an emergency.

Do you trust the electronic device?

Obviously, they work electronically. You need to be selective in choosing your firearm lockbox. Know how frequently you need to change the batteries. Know how to change the batteries. Some of these can be tricky. Gun safe reviews will tell you roughly how long these electronics will last. You don’t want to be locked out in a year or two, or have to get a replacement security box.

Is there a back up manual opening for your it?

Even if you totally trust the company, and think that it will last for 30 years without ever having a problem with electronics, it is a good idea to get one that can be opened manually as well. Look for a combination or a biometric gun safe that comes with a key. This is good insurance to allow you to get into it without having to break into it with a crowbar.

Why Are They So Cheap?

Browse Amazon and you’ll see the bestselling gun safes use biometric locks. But the technology behind them is even more common: throughout history, whole new industries have grown from innovations in older ones. Like advances in bellfounding for medieval churches made the wide use of cannons in warfare possible (a real irony), they had to wait for developments in other technologies. Biometric locks have three components: a sensor, software, and the lock itself. A sensor creates an image software processes, which then signals an electric lock. The same image sensors in camera-equipped cellphones scan fingerprints in the locks. Software for bar-code readers compare stored bar-codes to the one on the item you’re buying, the basic process in biometric identification. Devices that convert electricity into motion show-up in everything from flippers in pinball machines to fly-by-wire actuators on fighter jets. Battery-powered ones open and close latches in biometric gun safes. The simple answer is supply and demand. The final piece of the puzzle was image sensors lately becoming widely-available and therefore cheap because we were all buying cellphones. Paraphrasing Shoeless Joe from that movie: “If you buy it, it’ll come in something else.”